Airplanes crashing into the waterpark of the americas, yeah… but…

The Daily Mole pointed out this STrib piece which lays out the involvement of T-Paw and Lt. Gov. Molnau in opening up the safety lanes off the runways at MSP airport.  (Basically if a plane doesn’t safely make it on/ of the runway, it’s going to smash into the Waterpark of the Americas, which was built in the area previously kept empty for safety reasons and opened for development by the T-Paw administration.) 

I agree with the Mole that it’s a remarkably journalistic piece of journalism for the STrib.  And I’m torn about the decision, since I love that waterpark.  But here’s the last part of the piece which requires some re-reading:

With a favorable ruling from MnDOT, Dietzen’s client would be able to pursue plans to acquire and expand into the property east of the mall.

Dietzen, who was appointed to the state Supreme Court last month by Pawlenty, declined to comment on any airport zoning discussions he had with mall officials.

… 

He stressed that there was no connection between his work on behalf of the mall and his appointment by Pawlenty to the state Court of Appeals in December 2004, eight months after Molnau’s decision.

As an attorney, Dietzen twice represented Pawlenty against civil charges that he violated campaign finance laws. Pawlenty paid a $100,000 penalty in one case; the second case was dropped.

Last December, Dietzen’s former law firm forwarded a check for $500,000 to the airport commission as earnest money toward the mall’s option to buy the 33-acre parcel in the modified zone.

Well, yeah, there probably wasn’t a direct connection between opening the safety lanes and the appointment, but there’s certainly something between the wealthy litigator, the business at MOA, the opening of safety lanes, and the Governor’s appointment nonetheless.  And that’s another piece of journalistitude that I’d like to read.